Rujon Morrison

All of us at Shelterwood are committed to serving our students with excellence. The latest in our ongoing dedication is the appointment of Shelterwood Executive Program Director, Rujon Morrison, as Chairperson of the NATSAP Best Practices Committee. The committee reviews NATSAP Best Practice Guidelines for continuing relevance and handles concerns about programs, plus makes recommendations to the NATSAP Board. In this national leadership role, Rujon leads her team in guiding fellow member organizations towards exceptional service for teens and their families.

NATSAP, the National Association for Therapeutic Schools and Programs, is a national resource for programs and professionals assisting young people, teens and young adults. From residential treatment and wilderness therapy to long-term and transitional care, NATSAP organizations share a dedication to serving children, teens or young adults. NATSAP is governed by an elected volunteer board of NATSAP members.

After serving on NATSAP’s Best Practices committee for two years, Rujon was tapped to become the committee Chairperson. “Receiving an appointment of this nature is exciting. It is an honor to serve NATSAP in this way,” Rujon says. “I love our involvement with NATSAP — the challenges, the conversations and the growth that can happen through it all. I am humbled to be the Chairperson of the Best Practices Committee.”

As Chairperson, Rujon leads the committee, facilitates meetings, communicates with members and is a liaison to the greater NATSAP board. Her committee also serves as a consulting group when a NATSAP member may need advising on ethical practices and principles. “Having served on the committee, I was very excited about this new role because it is a way to stay sharp and stay on top of the best practices in our industry,” Rujon continues. “Best practices will always be a relevant and excellent topic.”

This appointment is meaningful for Shelterwood holistically as well. “This is a tremendous opportunity for Shelterwood,” she says. “In addition to taking on an even higher level of involvement, we are being recognized by NATSAP as a program doing cutting-edge things and really serving our teens well.”

Rujon’s appointment as Chairperson is only the latest in our ongoing commitment to exceptional work at Shelterwood. “Excellence is vital to our work here, and best practices create that important structure,” she says. “Best practices are not static, they are dynamic. We need to always be proactive in our pursuit of excellence.”